Review: Alex+Ada #5

In issue 4 of Alex+Ada Jonathan Luna and Sarah Vaughn left us with a screaming Ada. Issue 5 brings us back to a screaming Ada. And a freaked out Alex. As we’ve come to expect of Luna and Vaughn, we get one more, short chapter in this ongoing story. The artwork hasn’t changed and we are still looking at the muted tones that neither lend, nor take from, the story. There is also no thrilling cliffhanger at the end of this chapter.

The boy robot that awakened her explains to the alarmed Alex that Ada’s senses are overloading. Ada’s screams die down to moans and grunts and she jumps off the bed and crashes around the room. Thumping into the wall, she falls to the floor in a fetal position, where she suddenly becomes still and quiet.

At that moment there is a “BNG” at the door. It’s management wanting to know about all the ruckus. Android boy cautions Alex to be a smooth talker since they will all be in some serious doo-doo if they are discovered. Alex tells management it was the TV and the manager leaves with a warning that he will call the cops if there is any more trouble.

Ada is still in a silent, unresponsive heap in the corner and android boy says she has closed in on herself and that her coming out of it is up to her and partly depends on her life so far; on how well she feels her life with Alex has been. The boy android goes out to the vending machine for snacks, warning that they shouldn’t stay much longer. Once he’s gone Alex tries to talk to the comatose Ada. Then he gets a clever idea. He calls her through Prime Wave and connects with her mentally. At first she is unresponsive but Alex continues to talk to her, comforting her, and soon she begins to “talk” back. Through Alex’s comforting words and guidance, Ada slowly comes back to reality, takes a deep breath, and gets up. Boy android comes back and gives her a candy bar for energy, her first real experience as a sentient being. The boy tells her she now has a choice, she can stay with Alex or she can go with him. Ada looks at Alex and says she wants to go home.

Robot boy warns them that it all starts when they walk out the door. They must stay under the radar and Ada must be very careful not to let on that she is sentient. As he is about to leave he tells them that if they ever need anything they can go to Degrees of Freedom and ask for Franklin. Our boy android finally gives us a name. Left alone as the sun comes up, Alex and Ada leave the hotel. Pausing at the top of the steps to look at the sunrise, Ada declares it to be beautiful, then looks at Alex with a smile on her face. Although this one doesn’t end in a cliffhanger we are still compelled to reach for that next issue. There are ideas hinted at in this and the previous issues that lead us to believe that now, with Ada being a sentient android, there are some troubled waters ahead. Will she be able to fool society into thinking she is still just an android? What kind of life will Ada really have if she must always remain in hiding? It is compelling to see what Luna and Vaughn have in store for Alex and Ada and what direction they will take this story next. Find out in my upcoming review here on Comic Booked.